The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
It is known that personal containers, such as grocery bags, purses, briefcases, backpacks, and shopping bags are used to carry items. Such containers often include a handle or shoulder strap and have a top opening to access an interior compartment of the container. However, some personal containers lack closures that completely seal its opening. Even with bags having closures, an individual may neglect to use the closure properly. Thus, there is a risk that the contents of the container can spill out if knocked over.
Typically, people transport containers and the contents therein by vehicles. For example, a driver picks up groceries, places the groceries in a grocery bag, and sets the grocery bag on the front passenger seat or on the floor in front of the seat. The grocery bag can often contain liquids and/or fragile items susceptible to spillage, breakage, or bruising. While operating the vehicle, even in a gentle turn, items on the front seat often slide out of place and fall on the floor. It is known that vehicle seats in general are not well suited to hold items being transported. Even if secured, some items such as containers of liquids can still be difficult to transport on the seat of a vehicle.
In many instances, the placement of a container, such as a purse or handbag on a vehicle seat often presents problems for the user. The container is susceptible to tipping over or even sliding off the seat during braking and turning maneuvers due to the inertia of the container inside a moving vehicle. Placement of a container on the floor of the vehicle often results in the bag being out of reach of the driver and still subject to tipping. Placement of a container on a console between the seats of a vehicle having individual front seats may prevent the use of the console as an armrest, interfere with vehicle controls on the console, and subject the container to tipping over or sliding off the console during braking or acceleration of the vehicle. The movement of a container frequently causes a distraction to the driver, thereby creating a safety concern. Often drivers attempt to grab or catch a container and/or contents while braking or turning, which may cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Proposed solutions to this problem have included attaching one or more hooks to sections of the vehicle for hanging the container. However, large, heavy and bulky items may be difficult to place on or remove from the hook(s). Furthermore, the container is allowed to suspend and swing freely on the hook(s) without any lateral stabilization, which may lead to possible spillage, breakage, bruising, or displacement or the container and/or contents. Furthermore, hanging containers on hooks near the headrest increases the visibility of the container, thereby making it less discrete.
Another proposed solution involves integrating a fastener to a shock absorption system that is coupled to a handle and strap. The strap is adjustable to fit around the vehicle seat. Containers are secured to multiple fasteners, and an individual may transport the containers by either the handle or over-the-shoulder strap. The use of straps to control the container is not a satisfactory solution because it involves various cumbersome and inconvenient steps to secure the container and the straps to a vehicle seat. An individual must secure each bag to individual fasteners, adjust the strap to fit the shoulder, transport the apparatus to a vehicle, and adjust the strap to fit the automobile seat. Because this apparatus was also meant to serve as a carrying aid for multiple bags with handles, these steps must be repeated every time the apparatus is used. Furthermore, this apparatus requires that the containers be placed on the vehicle seat, which increases the visibility of the container.
Other proposals have involved integrating devices into the vehicle that clip to the headrest of the passenger's seat such that the container is suspended from or behind the passenger's seat and/or strapped to the passenger's seat. The problem with these devices is that they keep the container out of easy reach of the driver and limit access to the container. Furthermore, handing a container over or at the backside of a vehicle seat or placing a container on the vehicle seat increases the visibility of the container.
Thus it is readily apparent that there is a long felt need to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. Even though the above cited methods for a device and method for restraining a container in a vehicle seat to inhibit excessive movement by the container meets some of the needs of the market, a device and method for restraining a container against a vehicle seat through the use of spring, frictional, and gravitational forces, while maintaining minimal conspicuousness of the container and obstruction by the container, is still desired.